Paternity
by Azure K Mello
Summary: James comes back from the dead Harry gets some news about his parents. Slash. COMPLETE
1. 1

Series title: Paternity

Title: When you Wish Upon a Star

Writer: Az K Mello

For Prongs, her challenge, and her sickness. Plus I'm vying for some stickers!

Words: 2,495 (Who's to say that's not a drabble)

* * *

He was glad Harry was out of the house. Though he loved the boy with all his heart it hurt to look at him. All his features were so like his father's, but he wasn't James. He would never want Harry to be James. Harry was Harry and that was a good thing but he couldn't help but. . .

The tree was nice, they had dressed it that morning. And here he was sitting, legs akimbo, crying in front of the symbol. The first times James had kissed him they had been looking for a Christmas tree. They had been fourteen and it was so innocent and perfect.

He looked up at the star and said softly, "I would trade my freedom, I would trade anything. . . God how I wish you were here with me. I need you here with me, at my side. You could even play that bad Barry Manilow music you liked! I wish you weren't dead. I wish you would come home to me and look at the tree. You could do all that critiquing. You loved Christmas, you were so fucking annoying: it all needed to be perfect. I'm sure this tree is some how wrong. I'm sure you could fix it. I miss you so much. How could you leave me?"

"You know I'll never leave you," said a gentle voice behind him. "Why are you crying? Where are we?"

Sirius just sighed heavily, what a perfect time for one of his "turns". Dumbledore had labeled them that his "turns" he said they were grief caused images. The man assured him that over time they would fade, but Sirius liked the hauntings even if he felt empty when it was over. Frankly Sirius had never been good with euphemisms and saw them for what they were hysterical, schizophrenic visions. And they were schizophrenic because they were psychotic. The difference between a psychosis and a neurosis is very simple: if you're neurotic you know that what you're seeing is fake no matter how it scares you, whereas if your psychotic you don't think the dog told you to killed Brittany Spears you _know_ he did. When James was there he believed damn well that his lover was truly back. He would have whole conversations about the days events and would have long forgotten memories dragged to the surface. It was only when James literally ceased to be that Sirius would figure out that his baby wasn't really there.

Tonight though things were different. He was too tired and broken to think that this was real. It had taken a while but he had finally figured out that God was punishing him. The only person he had loved and been loved by had died because of his stupidity. He didn't deserve to be happy, he didn't deserve to have his son there. Yes he had told Harry that he was Lily's son because that's what everyone else thought. Why disillusion the lad? Why tell him that in fact Lily had just been a close friend who carried his and James' baby because back then, even in the wizarding community, male pregnancy was risky? There was no point, why tell him that he never had a mother and that his only parent was alive and loving him but was also broken and crazy? Why break his pretty fantasies?

"Sirius?" asked the specter of James, "You haven't answered, love, are you ok? Where are we?"

"_We_ aren't anywhere. _I'm_ alone in my house. You're dead, you son of a bitch."

"I'm dead?" asked James sounding hurt. It was odd, in prior visions James had never pretended or acted as though he didn't know of his demise.

"Yes, don't you remember? You and Lily went into hiding because Voldemort wanted Harry and didn't know he was ours and not Lily's. And I told Peter to be the secret keeper because no one would ever suspect him. But he fucked us all over and here you are dead."

"And Lily?"

"Dead." Sirius spoke callously not caring about the specter's feelings.

"Hhharry?' stuttered James.

"Is fine, he lives with me. He grew up so beautifully." He knew that this was fake, that this _wasn't_ James but that didn't stop him from sobbing. "He's so fucking great."

"He's here?" asked James suddenly filled with hope.

"No, he's at his boyfriend Oliver's house."

"He has a boyfriend? How old is our baby?"

"Eighteen."

"Fuck! I missed so much!"

"You're still missing it: you aren't real."

"There's no need to rub it in."

"Sorry."

"I've been dead seventeen years."

"Yes."

"You should be happy by now." James sounded resolved.

"What?"

"It's time for you to move on and be happy. You should love someone."

"I do," replied Sirius raising his head to look at the ghost's eyes.

James felt broken inside but he forced himself to smile. "That's good."

"I love you and Harry. And before you say it again, don't tell me to move on. I can't and it's not fair to ask me, you aren't even real."

"Ok," said James softly. He reached out a hand to stroke Sirius' hair, "I won't ask you. . . it's not even like I really like the thought of you with someone. I just can't bare you sitting here alone in the dark looking at a lit tree and weeping. It's Christmas."

"You're the only reason I liked Christmas." Then suddenly it occurred to him. "You're touching me. You can't touch me."

"Should I not? Is that bad? Because I'm a spirit and not really me I'm not allowed to feel you?"

"No I mean you _can't_ touch me." He laughed dryly, "Always before I believed you were real and the moment one of us tried to touch the other you would just disappear. And here you are touching me when I don't think any of this is real."

"So what does that mean?" asked James running his thumb down Sirius' cheek.

"I, I made a wish on the tree's star. I wished you were here and, and then you were. But I've gone crazy and I thought you. . . I thought this wasn't real. Is it real? Please tell me it's real."

"My heart's beating. I feel cold therefore I am warm blooded. . . You wished on a star?" he said incredulously with a smirk. "I never thought I would see the day you wished for something instead of making it happen."

Slowly Sirius sighed and spoke softly, "I spent twelve years in Azkaban wishing things were different, and five years ago I was free and I wish for a lot of things. I guess I'm not quite so proud as I was once, I'm not so idealistic. Growing up I thought I was this jaded abused child who was so hard. And then you died and I realized that it was all bullshit because no matter what happened I climbed into your bedroom window and it was all ok. And suddenly you weren't there."

"I'm sorry. I would never leave you if I had a choice. I'll never leave you now. Tell me about Harry."

"He's amazing. I fall in love with him again everyday."

"You used to say that when he was a baby."

"It still holds true." He pulled James into his lap and rocked them both gently trying to figure out what came next.

* * *

"I'll be right back." Harry slid off of his broom and handed it to Oliver Wood. "Are you sure you don't want to come in?"

"Sirius scares me."

"He didn't mean it ya know?"

"What: when he threatened to eviscerate me if I did anything untoward to you? I'm really glad you have someone looking out for you but I'm still scared."

"He seemed off this morning. I just want to check and see if he's ok." He kissed the side of Oliver's mouth, "I'll be right back."

His key slid silently into the lock. If Sirius was asleep Harry didn't want to wake him. He always got touchy and depressed around Christmas. Though his seasonal depression never stopped him from pulling out all the stops on the big day. Christmas was huge and fun and amazing. He always made sure Harry was badly spoiled to make up for lost time. But his mood worried the boy none the less. As he walked into the house proper he heard voices and stopped. He heard a voice talking and guessed Sirius had a friend over.

"I missed you so badly." He heard Sirius say. Harry was heartened by the words it was nice to know that his godfather had a_ special_ friend.

"I'm not going anywhere." The voice that spoke belonged to a man! Harry had never thought his mentor was gay! Sirius had never told him _that_ when Harry came out to him. "So does Harry know?"

"No," Sirius sounded guilty. Maybe this stranger had been trying to get the man to introduce them. "He was thirteen when I found him. He thought I killed you: the whole world did." Harry's mouth went dry. "What would you have had me say, 'Harry, I'm not your godfather I'm your father. Your mum isn't yer mum she just carried you for yer father and I. Your da was bent and in love with me and I loved him. Now come live with me.' That would be a great thing to say, I had no proof, he had no reason to trust me. And I had to let him go back to Lily's sicko family. I wanted to kill them all for being so fucking mean to him. I wanted to take him in my arms and rock him but I couldn't. It would have been misconstrued and I would have been the perv who killed the Potters and then tried to seduce their son! So I held my tongue. And at the point where I finally could have told him the truth it was too late: I would have been lying to him for over a year to then come clean for the selfish reason of wanting his love. Well fuck that."

"You could have-"

"I had no proof, Prongs," Sirius interrupted. "I had one visitor while I was in Azkaban. Dumbledore came and burned Harry's birth certificate in front of me. He said he wasn't going to let the boy know his father was a murderous bastard who fucked over his dad: Dumbledore swore at me. And so I've sat here biting my fucking tongue. And now you're here."

"I could tell him."

"Let's do this one bombshell at a time." Sirius laughed as he scrubbed his face of the tears.

"Can I kiss you?"

"Hell yes!" And just as their lips met they heard a heavy thud. James broke away with a groan and went to the hall.

"I think you have a burglar." He said over his shoulder.

Sirius walked over and laughed dryly. "No we have a son who needs an explanation. Oliver must be outside."

"Harry?" asked James with wonder. He examined the boy's face. "Even though I knew logically. . . he's not a baby."

"I know, it's odd." Sigh hooked his arm around James' waist and breathed in his lover's scent, "We should put him on the couch."

"He looks just like you."

"Are you being funny? He looks nothing like me and exactly like you."

"No way. Look at his forehead, and his nose, and his wrists' he couldn't be anyone but your son."

"Grab his legs would you?" asked Sirius who was all business when it came to their son. He had always been the one in charge of actual care giving. When ever Harry had become really upset he would send James to get a bottle while he calmed the baby.

Within minutes Harry was conscious and the first words out of his mouth were biting. "You bastard." Sirius cast his eyes away feeling hurt and guilty all at once. "When I came out I was worried sick and you never said a word! And I was worried about what _he_," he pointed at James but didn't actually name him, "would think and _you_ just laughed and said you were sure he would have been nothing but proud."

"I'm sorry, Harry," he looked away and felt his heart break. This was why he hadn't told him, he knew it would only cause hurt. His son spoke with so much anger and all he had wanted was to protect him.

"Harry," said James softly but cold eyes stopped his words.

"And where were you? Everyone tells me you're dead and then I walk in on you snogging my _dad_!" he shot another look at Sirius as the man dropped his head into his hands to breathe slowly and to not watch the anger on the face of his newly acknowledged son.

"I was dead, but tonight Sear made a wish and it bought me back."

"Right," Harry said sarcastically, "Unlike all _my_ wishing, that went no where but the minute Mr. Black opens his mouth suddenly it all works?"

"Well," James faltered, "yeah."

"Harry, it's true."

He rounded on Padfoot, "Oh and we know you think honesty is the best policy!"

"I wished on the star and then he was here."

"How do you expect me to believe that? Why would it have worked for you when it never has for me?"

"Maybe because I wanted it that much more, I was desperate. I knew what I wanted. You wanted a father. I wanted _my_ James back." Sirius bit into his lip harshly as he tried to control his rather ragged emotions.

Harry fell silent. For a few long minutes no one spoke or moved and when he finally looked up he was hugging himself as he asked, "So my birth certificate said you were my dad?"

"James and I were listed, yeah."

"And Mum?"

"Was a sweet girl," James said, "but she had very little to do with actually being your mum."

"Oh. . . You could have told me, Sear." Harry looked up with begging eyes, "Did you not want that? Did you not want to be the dad?"

Without thinking Sirius sat down and pulled the boy close, "No, Christ, No! I wanted so badly for you to be happy! Would you have really wanted to know?"

After thinking for a minute Harry said, "Yeah." And turned his head into his father's shoulder as he tried to think things through. Sirius held his son like any father would for the very first time. "But how?" he asked in reference to his conception.

"Magic," James replied sitting heavily and smiled as Harry put a hand on his leg.

In his emotional state Harry was having issues contacting his brain. "Don't be ridiculous! . . . we're wizards, aren't we?"

The three of them had to laugh.


	2. 2

Series title: Paternity

Chapter 2?

Title: Makes No Difference Who You Are

Writer: Az K Mello

Prongs, I'm still vying for some stickers!

Words: 1,083 (Who's to say that's not a drabble)

* * *

"I think you need some explanations," said James.

"Yeah," said Harry softly, "that would be good." A soft knock came at the front door and without pause he called, "It's open."

Oliver walked in looking confused as to why the quick check-in was taking so long, "Alright, Mr. Black?" he asked clearly thinking that worry over Sirius' mental state was the cause of his lover's being detained.

"Perfec', me boy," Sirius replied, never one to miss an opportunity to play with his son's lover. "Meet James Potter, Harry's dad, who's recently non-deceased. James, meet Oliver. He's courting our Harry." James gave the man a small wave. He did so love Sirius' mind games.

"I should. . . go," Oliver was having processing problems. "Breakfast tomorrow, Harry? How 'bout I pick you up at nine?"

Harry, who loathed his lover's penchant for early meetings said, "I'll need a lay in after this. Make it ten and I'll love you forever."

"You said that last night." Wood smiled but then blanched as he remembered the audience.

Taking pity on the man Harry crossed the room and kissed him softly, "Sorry about tonight, Ollie."

"Don't be," he shrugged. "This is wonderful. I'm so pleased for you." Oliver smiled warmly, hugged his boyfriend tightly, and turned to leave.

Before he could make it out the door James called after him somewhat gleefully, "Hurt him and I break your legs!"

"Yes, Sir," Oliver managed to squeak out before fleeing.

"He seems nice," James said and Sirius nodded in quick agreement.

Harry crossed back to them, kicked off his shoes, shrugged off his jacket, and laid down in front of the tree. "You two are incorrigible. Now where's this explanation?"

"I don't know where to start," said the lanky man as he came to sit behind Harry. He threaded his fingers through Harry's hair in a familiar touch that had taken years to forge, "I could never find the right way to tell you."

"Why not the summer before fifth year? When we were here with the Order? I'd been stuck at the Dursleys' with no news from you, attacked by dementors, and witnessed Voldemort murder Cedric. Didn't you think that maybe I needed some happy news? Like, maybe, that you were my father?"

"I wasn't sure you would see it as happy news. I was a head case and you were. . . "

"A head case," Harry finished for him, "yeah. I get it. That wasn't a good year. It was after that year, when we thought you were dead, that Dumbledore got me put on the antidepressant potions. But those only work if the depression is a chemical imbalance. I wasn't depressed. I was miserable and my life was turning to shite."

"I know. I tried to be some comfort to you that summer."

"You were. I felt safe with you. In fact, I had a huge crush on you. What a horrible thought. What if I'd made a move on you? Eww. Hermione and Ron had an intervention and told me that you were too old. And Remus said we wouldn't last. My god, he knows doesn't he? How embarrassing. I don't think I'm ever gonna be able to look him in the eye now."

"Harry, everyone has a crush on one of their parent's at some point."

"Not when they're fifteen!"

"Well, maybe not," Sirius nodded slowly in reluctant capitulation. James just laughed.

Moving back Harry rested his head on Sirius' thigh. "All those things Mrs. Weasley said? That must have been horrible for you."

"What, you mean when she said I wasn't yer dad, that I wasn't capable of taking care of you, and that I couldn't tell you from your father? No. I was fine with it." James sat down by Sirius and rubbed the small of his husband's back. Sirius smiled as Harry reached for James' hand and squeezed it gently.

"I'm so sorry," said Harry after a time.

"It wasn't your fault. Anyway, that was the first night I felt like a dad since I went to prison." Harry had dreamt of Cedric and had crawled into bed with his father and wept. He had sought comfort from the man he thought of as his godfather. Sirius had held him close and promised to protect him, "I felt guilty though: you were scared and I like cuddling you."

"No, I needed it too. You're my family and you always have been," sighing he smiled as he studied the tree. "I think we did a good job this year."

"There aren't enough lights," James said.

"Here we go," Sirius smiled waiting for a lecture on perfect trees.

"Can I smoke?" asked James as he pulled out his fags and his wand to light one with.

"Of course you can, baby," Sirius said and kissed his cheek. He had missed playing at domesticity. He conjured an ashtray and James just nodded his thanks.

Laughing at the foreign exchange Harry asked, "How many lights should there be? There _are_ 400!"

"There should be 1000 and they shouldn't be coloured. You shouldn't have more than three pounds of ornaments hanging on it and you have at least five on there. They weigh it down."

With a shrug Harry said, "I like it. The Dursleys always had one like that: 900 white lights and nothing but glass ornaments. Tasteful and dull. I like ours."

James looked at the tree draped with vulgar twinkling lights, coloured tinsel, and heavy ornaments. He took a drag off his fag and said, "If you like it then it's perfect. . . even if it is a monstrosity to the trained eye." Harry smiled and James gave his hand another squeeze. "How are we gonna do this? I don't know how to be your dad."

"You'll do fine. Be thankful you missed the angst filled years. Now it's just marriage, kids, and their angst filled years. We could just pretend to "fall back into our pattern". Pretend we have a pattern to fall back into. Tomorrow I'm going to breakfast with Ollie and lunch with Draco. But in the afternoon we could go Christmas shopping. It's the 18th so the shops will be busy, not packed though."

With another smile James said, "I'd like that. Sear? Gonna come?"

Shaking his head Sirius said, "I have a meeting at Hogwarts tomorrow afternoon, Dumbledore wants me to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. How about I meet you for dinner in London?"


	3. 3

Series title: Paternity

Chapter 3?

Title: Anything Your Heart Desires Will Come To You

Writer: Azure K Mello

Prongs, I love the stickers and as I recall I was decorating a room with them last year.

Words: 568

* * *

Harry had sunk into thought. He looked up at the tapestry of the Black family tree. They had never managed to get it off the wall but they had restored the missing names, now it stood proudly behind the Christmas tree. Following his son's gaze Sirius looked towards the tapestry and pointed his wand at it. The names James and Harold appeared embroidered on the fabric in gold thread. Pointing at the tapestry Harry said, "Oh God, eww." 

As he followed the direction of Harry's pointed finger James read the name Narcissa connected by a double line of gold embroidery to Lucius Malfoy. Beneath the pair he saw the name Draco. "It's not that bad," said Sirius realizing what the boy was looking at.

"You're speaking form experience? You dated your second cousin once removed? Wait, isn't Arthur Weasley your second cousin once removed?"

"Well, let's be honest, you did a lot more than date Draco," Sirius laughed with sick glee.

"Shut up, _Dad_." Harry still hadn't sat up or removed his head from the man's thigh. Changing the subject Harry said, "We need to decorate the dining room and kitchen." To James he said, "We're having a sort of open house on Christmas. Some teachers are coming for brunch; Dumbledore, Minerva, Severus," James gasped but Harry forged on with the list, "and Hagrid. The nine Weasleys and Hermione are coming for lunch and Draco, Oliver, and Remus will be here all day. We need the place to look festive." He knew that his Dad knew most of the names only vaguely but he made no move to explain.

"It's already a happier place than it was when that old cow lived here.," said James helpfully.

"She still lives here," Sirius smiled, "in a portrait anyway. Harry and Draco like to annoy her. We can't get her off the wall. Her and the damn tapestry."

"We make out in front of her. She thinks it's disgusting because I'm a half blood." He seemed half asleep as he spoke. All comfortable and slow, "I can't wait to tell her that actually I'm a blood traitor. She might fall off the wall."

"I like the tapestry," said James softly.

"The Order of the Phoenix stayed here for a while, they helped clean out some of the dark magic. And when everyone thought I was dead Harry and Remus cleaned the place up a bit more. Once I clawed my way out of hell Harry and I finished clearing up and redecorated."

"But," James laughed apologetically, "You hate it here. Why are you still living here?"

"I did hate it. And I was forced to hide here while they thought I'd killed you. It was hell. Then he was here. He slept in my old room with his friend Ron. And he was comfortable here. I watched him sleep and I went back to my mother's room. Until then I'd been housing a hippogriff in there hoping it would ruin the room. But I realized it wasn't her room. It's the master bedroom. And I'm the master of the House of Black. I spent my whole life hating them but I am them. Harry's a Black." He looked down and realized that the boy had fallen asleep, "I can't hate them anymore."

James watched the pair with a quiet smile and then said, "Wait! You clawed your way out of hell?"


	4. 4

Series title: Paternity

Chapter 4/4

Title: Fate Is Kind

Writer: Azure K Mello

Prongs, I've missed you.

Words: 1,171

They sat talking until the clock struck four in the morning. James asked about Draco Malfoy saying, "So Harry dated his cousin? What's he like? I mean, how is the child of Narcissa and Lucius friends with our boy?"

"Well, I was in hell when it all went down, so I'm a little patchy on it. They wanted him to follow in the family tradition of bigotry and brought him into the fold. Voldemort gave him the assignment of killing Dumbledore. He couldn't do it, lost his nerve, and admitted he was only doing it to protect his mum because apparently she was the collateral they were holding against him. So Dumbledore put her under protection. Meanwhile, he'd been badly poisoned so Severus spent weeks curing him. Draco was then in danger because he'd failed so they had to hide him. And where better to hide a failed Death Eater than with Harry Potter?"

"So they became friends?"

"I really don't know. They hated each other so much. I guess they were both scared and Harry's always had problems sleeping through the night and Draco was running away from his whole life. By the time I found Harry he was very much in love with Malfoy."

"So why's he dating Oliver?"

"They decided they wanted a year apart. They both took gap years between school and university and they wanted to date other people and do interesting things. Next fall they're both enrolled at the University of Sussex for Magical Careers and they'll be talking about getting back together. But Oliver is one of Harry's best friends. They've been traveling all around the world since they graduated. They hooked up with Ron and Hermione a couple of weeks ago in Prague. I think they've already decided to break up after New Years. Then Harry is going to Romania to help Charlie Weasley who works with dragons. He's always had a soft spot for Charlie."

"What do you think's going to happen?"

"They're going to get married."

"Even though they're cousins?"

"Only distant cousins. Draco might even be happier because he was worried about what his family would think of his marrying a wizard with mixed blood. Twenty years ago their matrimony would have been encouraged to keep the line pure. They're too distant to be incestuous. They love each other. And it's not as though the rest of the world will ever know about their blood relation."

"You don't want people to know you're his father?"

"Lily died for him. It seems unkind to tell everyone now that she wasn't his mother."

James bent over his sleeping son's form and slowly kissed his husband. "Love you so much and missed you so badly," said Sirius as James curled his fingers into his hair.

Laughing breathlessly James said, "I'm so pleased your hair grew back out. You looked silly with it cut short."

"Harry was shocked when he saw an old picture, he couldn't imagine in short." He pulled James closer to deepen the kiss but still had their sleeping son's head in his lap.

"We should put him to bed. And then I think you should fuck me through the floor." James stroked the sleeping teen's face, "He seems so nice."

"He really is, James, so much better than we ever were. He even invited Snivellus to Christmas. He's brave and clever and lovely. Honestly, I look at him and the man he's growing into and I can hardly believe he's ours. I'm so proud of him." He smiled at James before he called softly, "Harry? Time for bed."

Harry sat up blinking slowly, "Time?" he asked.

"About four," said James.

The two men guided their son up the stairs. They stopped in front of the curtained picture of Sirius' mother and before she could start screaming Harry said, "You were wrong. My mother wasn't a mud blooded whore; she wasn't my mother at all. Sirius is my father. And I'm as pure blooded as you. Because you're my gran!"

And, as she started screaming about the traitorous fruit of her loins, Sirius pulled the curtains shut and she was forced to fall silent. Sniffing dryly Sirius said, "That was fun." They kept walking.

Harry was half asleep as he fell into bed. Too tired to take off his boots, crawl under the covers, or release his tight grip on Sirius' hand. "Cedric," he muttered and Sirius winced.

"What did he say?" asked James.

"He's dreaming about his first boyfriend being murdered. He always dream about Cedric or me dieing when he's stressed."

"This is my fault," James said sadly.

"No. Not wholly. I should have told him years ago that I was his dad." Harry was clinging to his hand so tightly that Sirius' fingers were going blue. Laughing he kicked his shoes off and said, "I'm sorry, we're in here for the night. He dreams less if there is someone else in the bed."

"Hey," said James with a smile, "in my mind we made love all afternoon."

Sirius stroked his face and asked in a whisper, "What do you remember?"

"Lil and I were in hiding with the baby. So I brought him home for the day 'cause you hadn't seen him in close to a week. And you held him for ages and put him down for a nap. We went to bed for a few hours. We cooked supper together and gave Harry a bath. I took him back to Lily's house. Voldemort came and I sent Lily upstairs with the baby. There was a flash of green light and then I was here with you. For the most part it was a good day."

Sirius sat silent and James couldn't figure out why until he saw his husband's tears glistening in the soft light. Until then Sirius had been turning it off; he hadn't wanted to cry in front of his son. Wordlessly James pulled him into a hug even though heir boy was still holding Sirius' hand. "It wasn't good," he said into James' shoulder, "It was bloody brilliant. I had been so lonely and worried for you. And then there you both were and I had my boys to myself for hours. And then you were gone and I wasn't allowed to even hold my son. I thought I would never see either of you again. You're here now and Harry knows the truth. What if this is one of my turns? What if I'm totally mad? If I am, I don't want to be sane. I just want to stay with you and Harry."

Stroking Sirius' hair rhythmically James kept promising he was real and not going anywhere. The taller man wore himself out and fell into a restful sleep. As he pulled his shoes off James reached for his wand and transfigured Harry's bed into a California king. He conjured a comforter to cover the three of them and extinguished the last of the candles. Today had been seventeen years long.

The End.


End file.
